[POTD] monday.

ta-da!!! love this image from amy (lucky number13). for more delights check out the maternal len's pool. thanks for the inspiration.

photo of the day {Wednesday}

There's nothin' like lovin' and homemade pie...



This wonderful diptych is from pink.goldfish.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Count your blessings and be thankful. :)

We are ever so thankful for our wonderful followers...YOU! Thankful for the inspiration, support, kinship and friendships. xoxo

POTD [Tuesday]

I love this photo taken by Michelle-W, because it reminds me of my mother, the baker. I also love it for its sparkly bokeh, creamy tones, DOF, and of course the subject matter...don't you just want to reach through your computer screen??

Happy Tuesday everyone!

[stick it]

tape it, pin it, velcro it! these frames from molla space are so cool, hip and inexpensive too. a great gift or something different for your office or studio space. love it!

[POTD] monday.

the perfect little thanksgiving turkey! this precious moment brought to you pink.goldfish [molly flanagan]- have a great week everybody!!

[thanksgiving garland]

amazing that this thursday is thanksgiving!! i came across this adorable garland to help in your holiday decorating. patti friday of the liberty post is full of great ideas and this is no exception. purchase-print-present! voila an easy and affordable gift idea for your hostess or for yourself. a perfect last minute fun project!
enjoy.

{friday-photo of the day}

happy friday tml readers!!! have a fantastic weekend!
today's potd is from madeline bea...i love fun projects and this is the time of year
they are in full force!
make sure you are submitting to the flickr tml photo group! you might be the next photo of the day!

photo of the day {thursday}

I wanted a girlie photo for the photo of the day, after recent confirmation that we will be adding another baby girl to our family in late April. Oh the photos I will take!
This photo was taken by lilpuddlejumpers. Screams girl in everyway, from the adorable outfit to the pink balloon.

{low down, throw down with little moon photography}

it must be baby week here on tml! we have another fantabulous photographer to share with you today. amber scruggs of little moon photography is one of a kind. she does it all, but her baby work is some of the best out there! her colors always blow me away and the sweetness of the photos tug at those heart strings every time! visiting her site is a sure way to get baby fever! ha ha.

i'm happy to introduce you to amber scruggs {little moon photography}


Name: Amber Scruggs
Business name: Little Moon Photography
Location: Northern, Virginia
Website/blog: www.littlemoonphotography.com /
www.littlemoonphotography.com/blog



Tell us one sentence to describe your photography:
Most people describe my work as organic, timeless and creamy.

What's one thing that everyone should know about you?:
I'm a workaholic and very organized. It definitely helps when you own
a business!



How long have you been doing photography and how did you get started:
I've been in business almost two years. I was always into photography
but didn't take it seriously until my son was born. I wanted to take
better photos of him and it exploded into a business.
What did you want to be or think you would be when you grew up?:
A veterinarian, I have always loved animals!



If you were given $500 today, what would be the first thing you would do?:
A clothes shopping spree! I never spend money on myself these days.

Where do you go to find inspiration?:
Flickr is an awesome place to find inspiration and I also follow
countless blogs of other photographers.



What type of sessions are your favorite (children, e-sessions, weddings, newborns....) and why?:
Newborns! I love how beautiful, perfect, and new they are. The miracle
of life inspires me.

What equipment do you use and if you had only one lens to use...what would it be?:
In my camera bag I have:
a 5D MKII
a 5D Classic
50 1.2L
85 1.2L
135 2.0L
24-70 2.8L
100 2.8 Macro

If I could only use one lens it would probably be my 50 1.2, it's
awesome for newborns and older kids outside.



What moment in your life makes you smile every single time you think about it?: The birth of my son.

What is at the top of your wish list right now?:
Shockingly, nothing photography related!



Tell us the best advice that you have ever received (photography related or life in general):
Having a photography business is 70% business and 30% photography. You
have to love the business aspect of it to be successful.

If we surprised you at your house today, what would be the first thing we would notice?
Our two obnoxious dogs! One of them is quite the attention whore.



And lastly.....when we started the maternal lens, all of us filled out this questionnaire and shared our answers....now it's your turn :)

What is your favorite word? Gorgeous and you have to say it like this:
goooooooorgeoooouuuuuus.
What is your least favorite word? moist (ick)
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? LIFE!
What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Having too
much on my plate/stress
What sound or noise do you love? My sons laugh
What sound or noise do you hate? My alarm clock
What is your favorite thing to say when you get mad? Can't repeat it, lol.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A Storm
Chaser, I'm obsessed with all things weather!
What profession would you not like to do? Pilot, flying gives me major anxiety plus I'm an all around bad driver so I'd probably make a poor pilot.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? I like to think god is hip and he'd give me a fist bump or something

and would welcome me to the party they were having in my honor. ;-)

now, leave some blog love here for amber and make sure you visit her website and become a follower of her blog....

a big thank you to amber/little moon photography!!!

do you etsy?

I know that many of us are in love with the wonderful world of etsy.com , both as sellers and shoppers. There's nothing better than the vintage goodies, handmade items, and art (including photography) found there.

Etsy Buy Handmade pinkpooka

Do you have an etsy shop? If you do, leaves us a love note (comment) with your link!

Do you sell your photography or handmade goods on another site? Let's see those too!

Know of a great place to find great gifts for photo enthusiasts or photography lovers? Let us know about it!

Is there something photography related that you are hoping Santa will deliver this year? We wanna know about it!

Now that the giving season is upon us, let's share some great things to give!

photo of the day {Wednesday}

If you read my post about head garlands, you'd know why I love this shot! So festive and feminine, I love the way the focus falls on the details of her wreath. A glimpse, a moment. Another amazing shot by jessica drossin.



Don't forget to add your favorite shots to the TML flickr pool!

POTD [Tuesday]

"Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, and go light your world."

~Kathy Troccoli



This photo was taken by Dixieroadrash...if you haven't already, check out her lovely stream! Happy Tuesday dear readers!!

{low down, throw down--double dose!}

because the holidays are starting to get closer and we are starting to think more about them....
i thought we would double dose our low down, throw downs for the next couple weeks. we have so many amazing photogs to share with you,
that we just don't want our readers to have to wait! yay!

so, today......i know we all know her, love her, follow her, aspire to do what she does...but maybe you'll find out a little more about her today. And, if you don't know her, well you are in for a treat!! we are thrilled to have carrie sandoval featured on our blog today! YAY!! is she the best, or what?!
she is the queen of newborn photography...her newborn work is second to none and she has images that a lot of us only dream of having. carrie truly is an amazing inspiration to hundreds and hundreds of photographers out there....myself included.
i can't tell you how happy i am that she took time out of her crazy, busy schedule to do this for us!! thank you so much, carrie!!! you amaze us all!!

i'd like to introduce you to carrie sandoval!!


Name: Carrie Sandoval
Business name: Baby as Art
Location: San Diego, CA
Website/blog: http://babyasart.com/ and http://www.capturedbycarrie.com/



Tell us one sentence to describe your photography: I try to keep it interesting by using unique poses and props, yet still yielding a pure, clean and simple look.

What's one thing that everyone should know about you?: I am self taught.

How long have you been doing photography and how did you get started: I have tinkered since I was 16, but didn't become a serious hobbyist until 2003.

What did you want to be or think you would be when you grew up?: I remember wanting to be a kindergarten teacher when I was little. I have a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design, so at the time, I thought I was doing what I was meant to be doing. It was merely a stepping stone!

If you were given $500 today, what would be the first thing you would do?: Donate it to the Elizabeth House: http://www.elizabethhouse.net/

Where do you go to find inspiration?: Mostly... out on nature walks. Mother nature is most inspiring on many levels. I must also mention antique shops... sometimes a prop itself will inspire me. I love it when that happens!




Hundreds of photographers look to you to see what new ideas you are coming up with....do you love that? Or not? Originally, I answered "I think it's great... especially when they put their own twist on it. Making something your own definitely gives you a better sense of pride about the image." ...and that is 100% true. I love sharing as well as looking at other photographers work and will continue to as long as I am taking pictures. But to be completely honest, I think it's rude and totally unartistic for someone to happily accept recognition for a style and ideas that are not their own.

Can you give us a hint to your next big idea floating around in your head? Hmm. Newborns underwater? Totally kidding :) BUT... hold on to your seats!! My sister is pregnant again! The hammock, sling and potato sack crazes were "born" with Ian and Libby... we'll see what this new peanut will let us do!



What type of sessions are your favorite (children, newborns, maternity....) and why?: Hands down: 6 day olds. 5, 7, 8 and 9 day olds are great too... but I can clearly remember most of my favorite sessions being of 6 day olds! Ok, was that a little too precise?

What equipment do you use and if you had only one lens to use...what would it be?: I use a Nikon D3X, but can't wait to "downgrade" to the D3S. I'm a gadget girl and had to own Nikon's flagship camera. I have learned that it is definitely a studio camera, to be used with low ISO's. The D3 and the new D3S are geared for natural light users. Being a gadget girl, I own way too many lenses that I don't use. I use a 50mm 1.4 90% of the time and a 105mm 2.8 the remainder to the time (for close ups).




What moment in your life makes you smile every single time you think about it?:
Oh goodness... how can you beat the birth of your own children? I have 4 children now (ages 9, 7, 7 and 3) and all were equally amazing... but my first, following 5 years of loss and fertility treatment, was definitely a "wow, somebody pinch me" moment!

What is at the top of your wish list right now?: For sure the Nikon D3S. It should be here in a couple of weeks!



Tell us the best advice that you have ever received (photography related or life in general): Do what you love. Love what you do.

If we surprised you at your house today, what would be the first thing we would notice?: That my house is SPOTLESS and FULLY STOCKED. Let me explain, because it is certainly a rare occasion that my house is in this order... the 4th Baby as Art Workshop is this weekend. Can't wait!

And lastly.....when we started the maternal lens, all of us filled out this questionnaire and shared our answers....now it's your turn :)

What is your favorite word? RAD
What is your least favorite word? Uber
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Um, would it be sad if I said Bacardi?
What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Frivolous lawsuits / oppositions.
What sound or noise do you love? Children's laughter.
What sound or noise do you hate? Yo Gabba Gabba songs.
What is your favorite thing to say when you get mad? The F Bomb.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Reproductive Endocrinologist. It really intrigues me, but I doubt it would be creative enough for me to do for an extended amount of time!
What profession would you not like to do? President.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? "I wish I would have known about you when my son was born!"

{ha ha...i LOVE carrie's answer to the pearly gates question...perfect!!}

now, leave some blog love here for carrie and make sure you visit her website and become a follower of her blog....

a big thank you to carrie sandoval!!!

photo of the day--friday

who doesn't need a little extra love in their day! this is so sweet....
photo by xanthe berkeley


have a great weekend tml readers!!!

photo of the day [thursday]

So simple, yet this photo conjures up emotions. Childhood, innocence, simplicity, wonder.
Taken by Deb_S , who has an amazing photostream. I also recommend checking out her website, gorgeous work.

{low down, throw down with rawsii- christi nelson}

i've been anxiously (and not so patiently) waiting until today....i'm sooo excited!!! i LOVE and adore christi's work more than you can imagine. there is no doubt that when i'm feeling uninspired, down and burnt out, that her blog/site is the very first place i go. her work is like no others and i am absolutely in love with it!! i should mention...she is super cool to boot, too!
chrisi nelson's business is called rawsii. if you don't know it already, read her interview and run over to her site and check it out. get ready to have your socks blown off!!

i'm so happy to introduce you to rawsii, christi nelson....


Name: Christi Nelson
Business name: Rawsii
Location: South Bend, IN
Website/blog: www.rawsii.com



Tell us one sentence to describe your photography: What I do is a little bit earthy, with a fashionistic flair, somewhat daring, energetic, bold, bright, passionate, personal, mysterious, sometimes shocking...but that's too long and comlicated so we just call it {smashing fabulous} art. ;)

What's one thing that everyone should know about you?: I'm a hopeless romantic and the way I see the world is definitely filtered through my personal experiences. I don't know how I could possibly throw my entire heart and soul into shooting weddings if I weren't still madly in love with my husband of 10 years...he's simply amazing and his love and admiration is what makes me love LOVE and what pushes me to levels I never thought I could attain.

How long have you been doing photography and how did you get started: I've been shooting professionally for 10 years. But I had humble beginnings. First photography job: Sears Portrait Studio! hahahaha! That was brief. I quickly moved on and gradually taught myself what I needed to know. I had three things going for me when I first started: 1) I was good with computers so post processing came easily to me. 2) I could see "good" angles of people's faces. 3) I was ridiculously self-confident. My vices: 1) I had no earthly clue how to use a camera properly. 2) I didn't even OWN a "real" camera (borrowed one from a friend for a long time!). 3) I was ridiculously self-confident. It took me five years to accomplish what I see some people accomplishing within six months of starting a business, but it was good for me and there were so many ways that God reassured me this was His timeline. I officially opened my own business in 2004 when the birth of my first son allowed me to stay home full time.

What did you want to be or think you would be when you grew up?:

I wanted to be a nurse, but only because my mother passed away before she was able to finish nursing school and as a 6 year old child I took it on as my purpose in life to finish what she started. Thankfully by high school I came to my senses that it was not the career path for me. Oddly, it never occured to me that being a professional photographer was a viable option for me. I was a camera junkie so if I had realized that people could make a living while having all this fun, I KNOW I would have wanted to do that!

{this is one of my (shannon) favorite images of all time!!!}

If you were given $500 today, what would be the first thing you would do?:

Oh, that's a tough question. I believe that all our resources belong to God, so right off the bat I'd give $100 to a missions project really close to my heart right now. The missionaries that we spent a week with in Romania last year need $30,000 to build a meeting place for a new gypsy village church. We've seen the devastating conditions these people live in and it's gut wrenching. There's not much that can be done to change the way the gypsies are treated, but the love of God changes the way the gypsy people deal with their circumstances. I love the people there and the missionaries are our dear friends.

Realistically, the rest would probably go towards the two big "extra" expenses in my life...camera equipment and school supplies! I home school my boys and there's no shortage of the fun things we can buy to learn together!

Where do you go to find inspiration?:

My primary inspiration comes directly from my clients! I rarely know what I'm going to shoot until I meet them, and sometimes not until we're actually out shooting. I see the way they interact with each other or something they say or do and it will spark an idea that I'll just pick up and run with.

Along a different vein, I get inspiration for post processing, the "feel" of an image, shooting and lighting techniques, etc. from the fashion industry, from nature, from artists in other lines of work, and from photographers far more experienced than I such as Jerry Ghionis and Yervant.

What type of sessions are your favorite (children, e-sessions, weddings, newborns....) and why?: Two years ago I would have really struggled with this question, but I've definitely grown into my niche more recently which has allowed me to expand my business by bringing in a partner, Leah Hoskins, to take over all my children's photography. Personally, I love romance! And almost equally, I love personalization. Weddings are always gorgeous, and always so full of love, BUT sometimes they lack the personalization factor that really gets me going if, for instance, they're being married in a church that they've never attended, etc. So I'd have to say that generally I love Engagement sessions and Trash the Dress sessions the very best. They are relaxed with no schedule so I can take all the time I want to let my creativity simmer. And most importantly I can place the couple on the backdrop of their own life and capture images that tell their story. These make the BEST pictures, in my opinion.

What equipment do you use and if you had only one lens to use...what would it be?: I shoot with the 5D Mark II. My lenses are the 24-70 f/2.8L, the 70-200 f/2.8L, the 15mm fisheye, and the 50mm 1.4. They are all indispensible to me for different types of shots so I could never do a whole session with just one of them. My favorite lens is the fisheye! The way the world looks to me through that lens is just magical. When I go on short vacations though, the only lens I take is the 24-70. It's a good all-purpose lens when you want to travel light.

What moment in your life makes you smile every single time you think about it?: I've been blessed...there are so many. But the birth of my second son is what I would consider to be by far my highest achievement and it makes me smile, with a little pride even (you would too...believe me!). After an unnecessary c-section the first time around, I had my heart set on a natural birth. I was told this was nearly impossible in the hospital, given their tendency to consider you "once a c-section, always a c-section." I was really excited when I was able to have a home water birth with Jadon, completely natural and med-free. Definitely my proudest moment, and worlds different than my hospital experience. I love home birth, water birth, and will definitely go that route again if we have more children.

What is at the top of your wish list right now?:

The new pocket wizards -- high speed sync! yay!

Tell us the best advice that you have ever received (photography related or life in general): It's burned into my mind and etched on my mother's tombstone: "Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

If we surprised you at your house today, what would be the first thing we would notice? You'd probably notice my love for bold color. With a gray-blue livingroom, orange and yellow kitchen, and a red and teal office there's never a dull moment here! Then as most people do, you'd probably ask about the weird appliance on the kitchen counter that looks like a ray gun. That's a juicer. And the thing on the other counter that looks like an old fashioned microwave oven...that's a dehydrator. :)

And lastly.....when we started the maternal lens, all of us filled out this questionnaire and shared our answers....now it's your turn :)

What is your favorite word? the word my father in law taught my oldest son to say when he was only three: hyperpolysyllabicsesquipedalianism!
What is your least favorite word? quit

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? I aspire (key word ASPIRE) to live naturally and eat raw unprocessed foods. When I am successful at this I feel more creative, more calm, centered, and closer to God. But it's hard to do in a busy world, especially after years of the standard American diet!
What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? materialism and entitlement.
What sound or noise do you love? the sound of my son Corban singing songs he made up for Jesus.
What sound or noise do you hate? the sound of the door closing when a loved one (especially James) is leaving.
What is your favorite thing to say when you get mad? I had to ask James because I actually have no idea! He said it's more of a sound than a word...a crescendo-ing sound blending GRRRR and UHHHH. lol. As you can imagine, this is a rather interesting self-discovery. hmmmm.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I think if I wasn't a photographer, I might have pursued creative writing.

What profession would you not like to do? I think I'd make a really lousy accountant. I'm so thankful that there are these amazingly wonderful (albeit crazy) people in the world who are good at that and like it!!! (I love you Jessica!)

now, leave some blog love for rawsii/chirsti and make sure you visit her website and become a follower of her blog....

a big thank you to chirsti nelson!!!

photo of the day {Wednesday}

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom. ~Bob Dylan

I thought this wonderfully sweet shot by Kelly West Mars was perfectly appropriate for today, Veterans Day. We should all be especially grateful today for the freedoms that we share and the men and women who fight for them.